Author's Note: * holds up chapters nine and ten and waves them in the air
tauntingly * They're done..if you want em, you gotta REVIEW!!!
Chapter Eight
"Zidane. Zidane wake up." he heard her whispering. He opened his eyes to see Ellie kneeling next to him. She was pulling a pin from her reddish brown hair and looked up at him. He shifted against the wall that his wrists to chained to above his head, groaning in pain from the slashes covering his back. She moved closer to him, her hands going to the shackles on his wrists and began working with the pin.
"Rough day?" she asked. He nodded his head slightly, barely able to move. She freed one wrist and held his hand gently, slowly lowering it into his lap. He flexed his fingers, slowly regaining feeling in them. She worked off the lock on his other wrist and carefully brought that hand down as well, and she could feel how weak he was. He managed to lift his head to look at her as she kneeled at his side.
"Lots of food today?" Zidane asked hopefully. She looked up at him and he was pulled once again into her amethyst eyes. There was something about them that made him feel better, comforted. She smiled and nodded, beginning to unbutton the front of his shirt. He flexed his fingers again and then lifted his arms above head, allowing her to remove his shirt. She helped him stand and he draped an arm over her shoulders, and together they moved across the room toward an old fireplace that she had lit before she had woken him up. There was a plate of food waiting for him.
He settled down in front of the fire, and began to slowly eat, enjoying every bite. Ellie had moved behind him with a bucket of water and a rag, and began gently cleaning the slashes on his back. There were scars of many slashes already, as well as older, partially healed slashes, and the newer ones. He winced every now and then, despite how gentile she was being. He asked questions of what was happening in the world, and she would tell him of everything she had learned during the day.
"And Garnet?" he asked. Ellie was moment before she answered.
"Another suitor. I heard a merchant speaking of him, said he had overheard the man in the market buying gifts for her. Said that he would win her heart no matter what." Zidane sighed heavily.
"How long now?" he asked her.
"Nine days." She told him. "Everything's falling into place."
Zidane's shoulders suddenly slumped, and he shuddered. The idea of freedom was so far off to him. It had been three and a half years since he had been free to walk around and do what he wanted. It had been years since he had seen sunlight, or felt the warmth of the sun. Nine days was almost too much to bear now.
Ellie placed the rag back in the bucket and sat next to him, her eyes filling with compassion. He leaned into her, laying his head on her shoulder. She laid her head on his, and rubbed his arm comfortingly.
"She'll be there waiting for you. And you still have her heart." She whispered to him.
"It's been so long. I'm worried."
"That's understandable. But don't be troubled. In nine days, we'll have escaped from here, and we will never be back. I will never live another day in fear of my father. And neither will you." He looked up at her and smiled.
"Thank you, Ellie. I don't know where I would be without you." She smiled and he sat up and went back to his food. They talked quietly for another hour or so while he ate. They found comfort in each other's company. She was a little over a year younger than Zidane, and they had grown close over the two years she had cared for him. They were best friends, and watched over each other like brother and sister. She stood to add another log to the fire, when suddenly voices could be heard from behind the door at the top of the stairs. Zidane looked up from his plate and Ellie spun around, her hand going to the dagger in her boot as she crouched near the floor. Suddenly the door flew open, and the silhouette of a man could be seen.
"What is going on here!?!?" A voice boomed from the top of the stairs. Zidane tried to stand, frantically trying to get away from the man as he descended the stairs. Ellie took the dagger from her boot and swung at his head as he reached for her, leaving a large slash across his face. He caught her wrist as she reached to slash at him again, and slugged her with his other hand. She fell to the floor unconscious, blood pooling under her head on the floor.
"Ellie!!"
Zidane awoke screaming her name. He opened his eyes and sat upright, breathing hard and drenched in sweat. He had drifted off to sleep on the deck of the theatre ship in the warm summer breeze. Blank was standing at the rail looking at the lands below and now turned to him.
"What was it?" asked Blank.
Zidane remained seated on the deck for a moment, taking deep breaths and trying to hide the expression of pain on his face. A horrible feeling was welling up in every part of his body. She was suffering. Suffering on his behalf and he could feel it.
Zidane suddenly looked up at Blank, his eyes wide. "How far are we from Treno?"
"About 3 hours," Blank replied. "What's wrong?"
Zidane jumped up, heading toward the bridge of the ship. "We need to get there now.something's wrong." he leaned over the rail and began shouted down to the bridge.
"Baku! Go faster! We need to get there now!!"
Chapter Eight
"Zidane. Zidane wake up." he heard her whispering. He opened his eyes to see Ellie kneeling next to him. She was pulling a pin from her reddish brown hair and looked up at him. He shifted against the wall that his wrists to chained to above his head, groaning in pain from the slashes covering his back. She moved closer to him, her hands going to the shackles on his wrists and began working with the pin.
"Rough day?" she asked. He nodded his head slightly, barely able to move. She freed one wrist and held his hand gently, slowly lowering it into his lap. He flexed his fingers, slowly regaining feeling in them. She worked off the lock on his other wrist and carefully brought that hand down as well, and she could feel how weak he was. He managed to lift his head to look at her as she kneeled at his side.
"Lots of food today?" Zidane asked hopefully. She looked up at him and he was pulled once again into her amethyst eyes. There was something about them that made him feel better, comforted. She smiled and nodded, beginning to unbutton the front of his shirt. He flexed his fingers again and then lifted his arms above head, allowing her to remove his shirt. She helped him stand and he draped an arm over her shoulders, and together they moved across the room toward an old fireplace that she had lit before she had woken him up. There was a plate of food waiting for him.
He settled down in front of the fire, and began to slowly eat, enjoying every bite. Ellie had moved behind him with a bucket of water and a rag, and began gently cleaning the slashes on his back. There were scars of many slashes already, as well as older, partially healed slashes, and the newer ones. He winced every now and then, despite how gentile she was being. He asked questions of what was happening in the world, and she would tell him of everything she had learned during the day.
"And Garnet?" he asked. Ellie was moment before she answered.
"Another suitor. I heard a merchant speaking of him, said he had overheard the man in the market buying gifts for her. Said that he would win her heart no matter what." Zidane sighed heavily.
"How long now?" he asked her.
"Nine days." She told him. "Everything's falling into place."
Zidane's shoulders suddenly slumped, and he shuddered. The idea of freedom was so far off to him. It had been three and a half years since he had been free to walk around and do what he wanted. It had been years since he had seen sunlight, or felt the warmth of the sun. Nine days was almost too much to bear now.
Ellie placed the rag back in the bucket and sat next to him, her eyes filling with compassion. He leaned into her, laying his head on her shoulder. She laid her head on his, and rubbed his arm comfortingly.
"She'll be there waiting for you. And you still have her heart." She whispered to him.
"It's been so long. I'm worried."
"That's understandable. But don't be troubled. In nine days, we'll have escaped from here, and we will never be back. I will never live another day in fear of my father. And neither will you." He looked up at her and smiled.
"Thank you, Ellie. I don't know where I would be without you." She smiled and he sat up and went back to his food. They talked quietly for another hour or so while he ate. They found comfort in each other's company. She was a little over a year younger than Zidane, and they had grown close over the two years she had cared for him. They were best friends, and watched over each other like brother and sister. She stood to add another log to the fire, when suddenly voices could be heard from behind the door at the top of the stairs. Zidane looked up from his plate and Ellie spun around, her hand going to the dagger in her boot as she crouched near the floor. Suddenly the door flew open, and the silhouette of a man could be seen.
"What is going on here!?!?" A voice boomed from the top of the stairs. Zidane tried to stand, frantically trying to get away from the man as he descended the stairs. Ellie took the dagger from her boot and swung at his head as he reached for her, leaving a large slash across his face. He caught her wrist as she reached to slash at him again, and slugged her with his other hand. She fell to the floor unconscious, blood pooling under her head on the floor.
"Ellie!!"
Zidane awoke screaming her name. He opened his eyes and sat upright, breathing hard and drenched in sweat. He had drifted off to sleep on the deck of the theatre ship in the warm summer breeze. Blank was standing at the rail looking at the lands below and now turned to him.
"What was it?" asked Blank.
Zidane remained seated on the deck for a moment, taking deep breaths and trying to hide the expression of pain on his face. A horrible feeling was welling up in every part of his body. She was suffering. Suffering on his behalf and he could feel it.
Zidane suddenly looked up at Blank, his eyes wide. "How far are we from Treno?"
"About 3 hours," Blank replied. "What's wrong?"
Zidane jumped up, heading toward the bridge of the ship. "We need to get there now.something's wrong." he leaned over the rail and began shouted down to the bridge.
"Baku! Go faster! We need to get there now!!"